Expectations

Simeon...moved by the Spirit,
waiting on the promise!

Let me say this up front: I think Spirit-filled and Spirit-led people ought to be the most confident people around. We should live with a constant expectancy. We should live our lives with a constant optimism of what God will do next!

Luke 2:25-30 tells the story of an elderly, Spirit-led man by the name of Simeon. Notice how many times we are told of the Spirit's influence on Simeon's life: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the Temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took the boy in his arms and praising God, saying: ‘Sovereign, Lord, as you have promised you may not dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation’.” We are not told how long it had been since the Spirit first revealed to him that he would see the Lord's child, but the Scripture does say He was waiting!

The word wait means to await with confidence and patience. It is living in constant expectation. That is the way God calls us to live our lives...with confidence and with patience. We are confident that God is working amazing miracles in and around us. We are patient that He is not slow in keeping His promises as some understand slowness (2 Peter 3:9). 

We must be resolved that we are waiting on God for the long haul. As we take the long view, we are able to keep things in perspective.

We must avoid discouragement when God doesn’t meet our deadlines. Oone of two things happens when we get discouraged. Either we just give up on the miracle and stop believing, praying, and hoping. Or we are tempted to manufacture our own miracle. Remember when Abraham and Sarah were promised a child. When it didn't happen on their timetable, they manufactured their own miracle through Sarah's servant, Hagar. Ishmael was born, and we are still seeing the consequences of that manufactured miracle in the Middle East today.

Let me encourage you to remember today, it’s always too soon to give up on God. Keep seeking, keep believing, and keep waiting...you will experience miracles!